The invention had the object of finding novel compounds having valuable properties, in particular those which can be used for the preparation of medicaments.
The present invention relates to compounds and the use of compounds in which the inhibition, regulation and/or modulation of kinase signal transduction, in particular tyrosine kinase and/or serine/threonine kinase signal transduction, plays a role, furthermore to pharmaceutical compositions which comprise these compounds, and to the use of the compounds for the treatment of kinase-induced diseases.
Specifically, the present invention relates to compounds of the formula I which inhibit, regulate and/or modulate tyrosine kinase signal transduction, to compositions which comprise these compounds, and to methods for the use thereof for the treatment of tyrosine kinase-induced diseases and conditions, such as angiogenesis, cancer, tumour formation, growth and propagation, arteriosclerosis, ocular diseases, such as age-induced macular degeneration, choroidal neovascularisation and diabetic retinopathy, inflammatory diseases, arthritis, thrombosis, fibrosis, glomerulonephritis, neurodegeneration, psoriasis, restenosis, wound healing, transplant rejection, metabolic disorders and diseases of the immune system, also auto-immune diseases, cirrhosis, diabetes and diseases of the blood vessels, including instability and permeability, and the like, in mammals.
Tyrosine kinases are a class of enzymes with at least 400 members which catalyse the transfer of the terminal phosphate of adenosine triphosphate (gamma-phosphate) to tyrosine residues in protein substrates. It is thought that tyrosine kinases, through substrate phosphorylation, play a crucial role in signal transduction for a number of cellular functions. Although the precise mechanisms of signal transduction are still unclear, tyrosine kinases have been shown to be important factors in cell proliferation, carcinogenesis and cell differentiation (see reviews by Schlessinger and Ullrich, Neuron 9, 383-391 (1992) and 1-20 (1992)).
Tyrosine kinases can be divided into receptor-type tyrosine kinases or non-receptor-type tyrosine kinases. Receptor-type tyrosine kinases have an extracellular portion, a transmembrane portion and an intracellular portion, while non-receptor-type tyrosine kinases are exclusively intracellular.
Receptor-type tyrosine kinases consist of a multiplicity of transmembrane receptors with different biological activity. Thus, about 20 different subfamilies of receptor-type tyrosine kinases have been identified. One tyrosine kinase subfamily, known as the HER subfamily, consists of EGFR, HER2, HER3 and HER4. Ligands from this subfamily of receptors include epithelial growth factor, TGF-α, amphiregulin, HB-EGF, betacellulin and heregulin. Another subfamily of these receptor-type tyrosine kinases is the insulin subfamily, which includes INS-R, IGF-IR and IR-R. The PDGF subfamily includes the PDGF-α and -β, receptors, CSFIR, c-kit and FLK-II. In addition, there is the FLK family, which consists of the kinase insert domain receptor (KDR), foetal liver kinase-1 (FLK-1), foetal liver kinase-4 (FLK-4) and fms tyrosine kinase-1 (flt-1). The PDGF and FLK families are usually discussed together due to the similarities between the two groups. For a detailed discussion of receptor-type tyrosine kinases, see the paper by Plowman et al., DN & P 7(6):334-339, 1994, which is hereby incorporated by way of reference.
The RTKs (receptor tyrosine kinases) also include TIE2 and its ligands angiopoietin 1 and 2. More and more homologues of these ligands have now been found, the action of which has not yet been demonstrated clearly in detail. TIE1 is known as a homologue of TIE2. The TIE RTKs are expressed selectively on endothelial cells and are involved in processes of angiogenesis and maturing of the blood vessels. They may consequently be a valuable aim, in particular, in diseases of the vascular system and in pathologies in which vessels are utilised or even reformed. In addition to prevention of neovascularisation and maturing, stimulation of neovascularisation may also be a valuable aim for active compounds. Reference is made to review papers on angiogenesis, tumour development and kinase signal transduction by    G. Breier Placenta (2000) 21, Suppl A, Trophoblasr Res 14, S11-S15    F. Bussolino et al. TIBS 22, 251-256 (1997)    G. Bergers & L. E. Benjamin Nature Rev Cancer 3, 401-410 (2003)    P. Blume-Jensen & . Hunter Nature 411, 355-365 (2001)    M. Ramsauer & P. D'Amore J. Clin. INvest. 110, 1615-1617 (2002)    S. Tsigkos et al. Expert Opin. Investig. Drugs 12, 933-941 (2003)
Examples of kinase inhibitors which have already been tested in cancer therapy are given in L. K. Shawyer et al. Cancer Cell 1, 117-123 (2002) and D. Fabbro & C. Garcia-Echeverria Current Opin. Drug Discovery & Development 5, 701-712 (2002).
Non-receptor-type tyrosine kinases likewise consist of a multiplicity of subfamilies, including Src, Frk, Btk, Csk, Abl, Zap70, Fes/Fps, Fak, Jak, Ack, and LIMK. Each of these subfamilies is further sub-divided into different receptors. For example, the Src subfamily is one of the largest subfamilies. It includes Src, Yes, Fyn, Lyn, Lck, Blk, Hck, Fgr and Yrk. The Src subfamily of enzymes has been linked to oncogenesis. For a more detailed discussion of non-receptor-type tyrosine kinases, see the paper by Bolen Oncogene, 8:2025-2031 (1993), which is hereby incorporated by way of reference.
Both receptor-type tyrosine kinases and non-receptor-type tyrosine kinases are involved in cellular signalling pathways leading to various pathogenic conditions, including cancer, psoriasis and hyperimmune responses. It has been proposed that various receptor-type tyrosine kinases, and the growth factors binding to them, play a role in angiogenesis, although some may promote angiogenesis indirectly (Mustonen and Alitalo, J. Cell Biol. 129:895-898, 1995). One of these receptor-type tyrosine kinases is foetal liver kinase 1, also referred to as FLK-1. The human analogue of FLK-1 is the kinase insert domain-containing receptor KDR, which is also known as vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2 or VEGFR-2, since it binds VEGF with high affinity. Finally, the murine version of this receptor has also been called NYK (Oelrichs et al., Oncogene 8(1):11-15, 1993). VEGF and KDR are a ligand-receptor pair which plays a vital role in the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells and the formation and sprouting of blood vessels, referred to as vasculogenesis and angiogenesis respectively.
The process of angiogenesis is the development of new blood vessels, generally capillaries, from pre-existing vasculature. Angiogenesis is defined as involving (i) activation of endothelial cells; (ii) increased vascular permeability; (iii) subsequent dissolution of the basement membrane and extravisation of plasma components leading to formation of a provisional fibrin gel extracellular matrix; (iv) proliferation and mobilisation of endothelial cells; (v) reorganisation of mobilised endothelial cells to form functional capillaries; (vi) capillary loop formation; and (vii) deposition of basement membrane and recruitment of perivascular cells to newly formed vessels.
Normal angiogenesis is activated during tissue growth, from embryonic development through maturity, and then enters a period of relative quiescence during adulthood.
Normal angiogenesis is also activated during wound healing and at certain stages of the female reproductive cycle. Inappropriate or pathological angiogenesis has been associated with several conditions, including various retinopathies; ischemic disease; atherosclerosis; chronic inflammatory disorders; rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. The role of angiogenesis in conditions is discussed, for instance, in Fan et al, Trends in Pharmacol Sci. 16:54 66; Shawver et al, DOT Vol. 2, No. 2 February 1997; Folkmann, 1995, Nature Medicine 1:27-31.
In cancer, the growth of solid tumors has been shown to be angiogenesis-dependent. (see Folkmann, J., J. Nat'l. Cancer Inst., 1990, 82, 4-6.) Consequently, the targeting of pro-angiogenic pathways is a strategy being widely pursued in order to provide new therapeutics in these areas of great, unmet medical need.
Angiogenesis is characterised by excessive activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF actually consists of a family of ligands (Klagsburn and D'Amore, Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews 7:259-270, 1996). VEGF binds the high affinity membrane-spanning tyrosine kinase receptor KDR and the related fms tyrosine kinase-1, also known as Flt-1 or vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR-1). Cell culture and gene knockout experiments indicate that each receptor contributes to different aspects of angiogenesis. KDR mediates the mitogenic function of VEGF, whereas Flt-1 appears to modulate non-mitogenic functions, such as those associated with cellular adhesion. Inhibiting KDR thus modulates the level of mitogenic VEGF activity. In fact, tumour growth has been shown to be susceptible to the antiangiogenic effect of VEGF receptor antagonists (Kim et al., Nature 362, pp. 841-844, 1993).
Three PTK (protein tyrosinkinase) receptors for VEGFR have been identified: VEGFR-1 (Flt-1); VEGRF-2 (Flk-1 or KDR) and VEGFR-3 (Flt-4). VEGFR-2 is of particular interest.
Solid tumours can therefore be treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors since these tumours depend on angiogenesis for the formation of the blood vessels that are necessary to support their growth. These solid tumours include monocytic leukaemia, brain, urogenital tract, lymphatic system, stomach, laryngeal and lung carcinoma, including lung adenocarcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma. Further examples include carcinomas in which overexpression or activation of Raf-activating oncogenes (for example K-ras, erb-B) is observed. These carcinomas include pancreatic and breast carcinoma. Inhibitors of these tyrosine kinases are therefore suitable for the prevention and treatment of proliferative diseases caused by these enzymes.
The angiogenic activity of VEGF is not limited to tumours. VEGF accounts for the angiogenic activity produced in or near the retina in diabetic retinopathy. This vascular growth in the retina leads to visual degeneration culminating in blindness. Ocular VEGF mRNA and protein levels are elevated by conditions such as retinal vein occlusion in primates and decreased PO2 level in mice that lead to neovascularisation. Intraocular injections of anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies or VEGF receptor immunofusions inhibit ocular neovascularisation in both primate and rodent models. Irrespective of the cause of induction of VEGF in human diabetic retinopathy, inhibition of ocular VEGF is suitable for treating this disease.
Expression of VEGF is also significantly increased in hypoxic regions of animal and human tumours adjacent to areas of necrosis. In addition, VEGF is upregulated by the expression of the oncogenes Ras, Raf, Src and mutant p53 (all of which are important in combating cancer). Anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies inhibit the growth of human tumours in nude mice. Although the same tumour cells continue to express VEGF in culture, the antibodies do not diminish their mitotic rate. Thus, tumour-derived VEGF does not function as an autocrine mitogenic factor. VEGF therefore contributes to tumour growth in vivo by promoting angiogenesis through its paracrine vascular endothelial cell chemotactic and mitogenic activities. These monoclonal antibodies also inhibit the growth of typically less well vascularised human colon carcinomas in athymic mice and decrease the number of tumours arising from inoculated cells.
The expression of a VEGF-binding construct of Flk-1, Flt-1, the mouse KDR receptor homologue truncated to eliminate the cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase domains but retaining a membrane anchor, in viruses virtually stops the growth of a transplantable glioblastoma in mice, presumably by the dominant negative mechanism of heterodimer formation with membrane-spanning endothelial cell VEGF receptors. Embryonic stem cells, which normally grow as solid tumours in nude mice, do not produce detectable tumours if both VEGF alleles are knocked out. Taken together, these data indicate the role of VEGF in the growth of solid tumours. Inhibition of KDR or Flt-1 is involved in pathological angiogenesis, and these receptors are suitable for the treatment of diseases in which angiogenesis is part of the overall pathology, for example inflammation, diabetic retinal vascularisation, as well as various forms of cancer, since tumour growth is known to be dependent on angiogenesis (Weidner et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 324, pp. 1-8, 1991).
Angiopoietin 1 (Ang1), a ligand for the endothelium-specific receptor-type tyrosine kinase TIE-2, is a novel angiogenic factor (Davis et al, Cell, 1996, 87:1161-1169; Partanen et al, Mol. Cell Biol., 12:1698-1707 (1992); U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,521,073; 5,879,672; 5,877,020; and 6,030,831). The acronym TIE stands for “tyrosine kinase with Ig and EGF homology domains”. TIE is used for the identification of a class of receptor-type tyrosine kinases which are expressed exclusively in vascular endothelial cells and early haemopoietic cells. TIE receptor kinases are typically characterised by the presence of an EGF-like domain and an immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domain which consists of extracellular fold units stabilised by disulfide bridge bonds between the chains (Partanen et al Curr. Topics Microbiol. Immunol., 1999, 237:159-172). In contrast to VEGF, which exerts its function during the early stages of vascular development, Ang1 and its receptor TIE-2 act during the later stages of vascular development, i.e. during vascular transformation (transformation relates to the formation of a vascular lumen) and maturing (Yancopoulos et al, Cell, 1998, 93:661-664; Peters, K. G., Circ. Res., 1998, 83(3):342-3; Suri et al, Cell 87, 1171-1180 (1996)).
Accordingly, it would be expected that inhibition of TIE-2 should interrupt the transformation and maturing of a new vascular system initiated by angiogenesis and should thus interrupt the angiogenesis process. Furthermore, inhibition at the kinase domain binding site of VEGFR-2 would block phosphorylation of tyrosine residues and serve to interrupt initiation of angiogenesis. It must therefore be assumed that inhibition of TIE-2 and/or VEGFR-2 should prevent tumour angiogenesis and serve to slow or completely eliminate tumour growth.
Accordingly, treatment of cancer and other diseases associated with inappropriate angiogenesis could be provided.
As discussed herein, the signalling pathways described are relevant for various diseases. Accordingly, the compounds according to the invention are useful in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of diseases that are dependent on the said signalling pathways through interaction with one or more of the said signalling pathways.
The present invention is directed to methods for the regulation, modulation or inhibition of TIE-2 for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases in connection with unregulated or disturbed TIE-2 activity. In particular, the compounds of the formula I can also be employed in the treatment of certain forms of cancer. Furthermore, the compounds of the formula I can be used to provide additive or synergistic effects in certain existing cancer chemotherapies and/or can be used to restore the efficacy of certain existing cancer chemotherapies and radiotherapies.
The compounds of the formula I can furthermore be used for the isolation and investigation of the activity or expression of TIE-2. In addition, they are particularly suitable for use in diagnostic methods for diseases associated with irregular or disturbed TIE-2 activity.
The present invention is furthermore directed to methods for the regulation, modulation or inhibition of VEGFR-2 for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases associated with irregular or disturbed VEGFR-2 activity.
One of the principal mechanisms by which cellular regulation is effected is through the transduction of extracellular signals across the membrane that in turn modulate biochemical pathways within the cell. Protein phosphorylation represents one course by which intracellular signals are propagated from molecule to molecule resulting finally in a cellular response. These signal transduction cascades are highly regulated and often overlap, as is evident from the existence of many protein kinases as well as phosphatases. Phosphorylation of proteins occurs predominantly at serine, threonine or tyrosine residues, and protein kinases have therefore been classified by their specificity of phosphorylation site, i.e. serine/threonine kinases and tyrosine kinases. Since phosphorylation is such a ubiquitous process within cells and since cellular phenotypes are largely influenced by the activity of these pathways, it is currently believed that a number of conditions and/or diseases are attributable to either aberrant activation or functional mutations in the molecular components of kinase cascades. Consequently, considerable attention has been devoted to the characterisation of these proteins and compounds that are able to modulate their activity (review article see: Weinstmono-Oppenheimer et al. Pharma. &. Therap., 2000, 88, 229-279).
The protein kinase PKB (also known as AKT and RAC-PK) is a member of the AKT/PKB family of serine/threonine kinases and has been shown to be involved in a diverse set of signalling pathways in human malignancy (Nicholson et al., Cell. Signal., 2002, 14, 381-395). PKB, like other members of the AKT/PKB family, is located in the cytosol of unstimulated cells and translocates to the cell membrane following stimulation. PKB translocation can be activated by a number of ligands, including platelet derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, cellular stress, such as, for example, heat shock and hyperosmolarity, as well as insulin (Bos, Trends Biochem. Sci., 1995, 20, 441-442), and other studies have shown that this activation is through PI3 kinase which is wortmannin sensitive (Franke et al., Science, 1997, 275, 665-668). Once localised to the plasma membrane, PKB has been shown to mediate several functions within the cell, including apoptosis, the metabolic effects of insulin, induction of differentiation and/or proliferation, protein synthesis and stress responses (Alessi and Cohen, Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev., 1998, 8, 55-62; Downward, Curr. Opin. Cell Biol., 1998, 10, 262-267).
PKB was cloned independently in 1991 by three groups (Bellacosa et al., Science, 1991, 254, 274-277; Coffer and Woodgett, Eur. J. Biochem., 1991, 201, 475-481; Jones et al., Cell Regul., 1991, 2, 1001-1009), but its association with primary human gastric carcinoma was recognised as early as 1987 (Staal et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1987, 84, 5034-5037). Sequencing of PKBα revealed homology within the kinase domains to the PKA (about 68%) and PKC isozymes (about 73%) (Jones et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1991, 88, 4171-5), a fact that lead to its renaming as PKB. There are three cellular isoforms of PKB and two splice variants (PKBα, β, γ, β1, γ1; Brazil et al. Trends in Bio Sci, 2001, 26, 657-663). PKBα was found to be amplified or overexpressed in gastric adenocarcinomas and in a breast cancer cell line (Staal et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1987, 84, 5034-7; Jones et al., Cell Regul., 1991, 2, 1001-9). PKBβ is amplified or overexpressed in 3% of breast (Bellacosa et al., Int. J. Cancer, 1995 64, 280-5), 12% of pancreatic (Cheng et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1996, 93, 3636-41) and 15% of ovarian cancers (Bellacosa et al., Int. J. Cancer, 1995, 64, 280-5; Cheng et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1992, 89, 9267-71).
PKBγ is overexpressed in oestrogen receptor-deficient breast cancer and in androgen-independent prostate cell lines (Nakatani et al., J. Biol. Chem. 1999, 274, 21528-32).
It has been proposed that PKB is a gene which is involved in chromosomal rearrangement at chromosome band 14q32. This locus is known to undergo rearrangement in human T-cell malignancies, such as, for example, prolymphocytic leukaemias and mixed lineage childhood leukaemias (Staal et al., Genomics, 1988, 2, 96-98).
PKB also plays a role in the prevention of “programmed cell death” or apoptosis by inhibitory phosphorylation of ASK-1, Bad, Caspase9 and FKHR (for review see Nicholson et al., Cell Signalling 2001, 14, 281-395). It has been shown that PKB provides a survival signal (for review see Lawlor et al., J. of Cell Science 2001, 114, 2903-2910) to cells in order to protect them from a number of agents, including UV radiation (Dudek et al., Science, 1997, 275, 661-665), withdrawal of IGF1 from neuronal cells, detachment from the extracellular matrix, stress and heat shock (Alessi and Cohen, Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev., 1998, 8, 55-62).
The dual-specific phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten) increases the Ptdlns(3, 4, 5)P3 level in the cell by dephosphorylation of Ptdlns(3, 4, 5)P3. Ptdlns(3, 4, 5)P3 binds to the PH domain (Pleckstrin homology domain) of PKB. This binding is an essential step for membrane translocation and activation of PKB. PTEN is a tumour suppressor gene mutated in a large proportion of glioblastoma and melanoma cell lines, advanced prostate carcinomas and endometrial carcinomas. Furthermore, it is deleted in >80% of patients with hereditary conditions, such as, for example, Cowden's disease, Lhermitte-Duclose disease and Bannayan-Zonana Syndrome. The patients display a number of similar features, including multiple benign tumours (harmatomas) and increased susceptibility to breast and thyroid malignancies (Di Cristofano et al. Cell, 2000, 100, 387-390).
Cell lines derived from PTEN+/− heterozygous mice (PTEN−/− heterozygous mice are not viable) show increased Ptdlns(3, 4, 5)P3 levels paralleled by increased PKB activity, with concomitant decreased sensitivity to apoptosis (Di Christofano et al. Nat. Genet. 1998, 19, 348-355; Stambolic et al., Cell, 1998, 95, 29-39, Myers et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Si. U.S.A., 1998, 96 13513-13518).
PKB is also able to promote cell cycle progression by inhibiting p21 cell cycle inhibitor (Zhou et al.; Nat. Cell Biol., 2002, 3, 245-252).
These findings may explain the overexpression of PKB observed in cancer cells which allows preferential survival and proliferation of the carcinomas by avoiding the normal progression to apoptosis.
At present, there are no known therapeutic agents which effectively inhibit the activity of PKB. Consequently, there remains a long felt need for additional agents which are capable of effectively inhibiting PKB function for the activation of pro-apoptotic proteins in all kinds of cancer as chemotherapeutic agents.
The synthesis of small compounds which specifically inhibit, regulate and/or modulate tyrosine kinase signal transduction is therefore desirable and an aim of the present invention.
It has been found that the compounds according to the invention and salts thereof have very valuable pharmacological properties while being well tolerated.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the compounds according to the invention are able to interact with signalling pathways, especially the signalling pathways described herein. The compounds according to the invention preferably exhibit an advantageous biological activity which can easily be demonstrated in enzyme-based assays, for example assays as described herein. In such enzyme-based assays, the compounds according to the invention preferably exhibit and cause an inhibiting effect, which is usually documented by IC50 values in a suitable range, preferably in the micromolar range and more preferably in the nanomolar range.
As discussed herein, these signalling pathways are relevant for various diseases. Accordingly, the compounds according to the invention are suitable for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of diseases that are dependent on the said signalling pathways by interacting with one or more of the said signalling pathways.
The present invention therefore relates to compounds according to the invention as promoters or inhibitors.
The present invention therefore relates to compounds according to the invention as medicaments and/or medicament active ingredients in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of the said diseases and to the use of compounds according to the invention for the preparation of a pharmaceutical for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of the said diseases as well as to a method for the treatment of the said diseases which comprises the administration of one or more compounds according to the invention to a patient in need of such an administration.
In a comparative measurement, it has furthermore been found that the compounds of the formula I act as PKB inhibitors. This action can be demonstrated, for example, by a method described by Alessi et al. EMBO L. 1996, 15, 6541-6551.
It can be shown that the compounds according to the invention have an antiproliferative action in vivo in a xenotransplant tumour model. The compounds according to the invention are administered to a patient having a hyperproliferative disease, for example to inhibit tumour growth, to reduce inflammation associated with a lymphoproliferative disease, to inhibit transplant rejection or neurological damage due to tissue repair, etc. The present compounds are suitable for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes. As used herein, the term “treatment” is used to refer to both prevention of diseases and treatment of pre-existing conditions. The prevention of proliferation is achieved by administration of the compounds according to the invention prior to the development of overt disease, for example to prevent the growth of tumours, prevent metastatic growth, diminish restenosis associated with cardiovascular surgery, etc. Alternatively, the compounds are used for the treatment of ongoing diseases by stabilising or improving the clinical symptoms of the patient.
The host or patient can belong to any mammalian species, for example a primate species, particularly humans; rodents, including mice, rats and hamsters; rabbits; horses, cows, dogs, cats, etc. Animal models are of interest for experimental investigations, providing a model for treatment of human disease.
The susceptibility of a particular cell to treatment with the compounds according to the invention can be determined by in vitro tests. Typically, a culture of the cell is combined with a compound according to the invention at various concentrations for a period of time which is sufficient to allow the active agents to induce cell death or to inhibit migration, usually between about one hour and one week. In vitro testing can be carried out using cultivated cells from a biopsy sample. The viable cells remaining after the treatment are then counted.
The dose varies depending on the specific compound used, the specific disease, the patient status, etc. A therapeutic dose is typically sufficient considerably to reduce the undesired cell population in the target tissue while the viability of the patient is maintained. The treatment is generally continued until a considerable reduction has occurred, for example an at least about 50% reduction in the cell burden, and may be continued until essentially no more undesired cells are detected in the body.
For identification of a signal transduction pathway and for detection of interactions between various signal transduction pathways, various scientists have developed suitable models or model systems, for example cell culture models (for example Khwaja et al., EMBO, 1997, 16, 2783-93) and models of transgenic animals (for example White et al., Oncogene, 2001, 20, 7064-7072). For the determination of certain stages in the signal transduction cascade, interacting compounds can be utilised in order to modulate the signal (for example Stephens et al., Biochemical J., 2000, 351, 95-105). The compounds according to the invention can also be used as reagents for testing kinase-dependent signal transduction pathways in animals and/or cell culture models or in the clinical diseases mentioned in this application.
Measurement of the kinase activity is a technique which is well known to the person skilled in the art. Generic test systems for the determination of the kinase activity using substrates, for example histone (for example Alessi et al., FEBS Lett. 1996, 399, 3, pages 333-338) or the basic myelin protein are described in the literature (for example Campos-González, R. and Glenney, Jr., J. R. 1992, J. Biol. Chem. 267, page 14535).
For the identification of kinase inhibitors, various assay systems are available. In the scintillation proximity assay (Sorg et al., J. of. Biomolecular Screening, 2002, 7, 11-19) and the flashplate assay, the radioactive phosphorylation of a protein or peptide as substrate with γATP is measured. In the presence of an inhibitory compound, a decreased radioactive signal, or none at all, is detectable. Furthermore, homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (HTR-FRET) and fluorescence polarisation (FP) technologies are suitable as assay methods (Sills et al., J. of Biomolecular Screening, 2002, 191-214).
Other non-radioactive ELISA assay methods use specific phospho-anti-bodies (phospho-ABs). The phospho-AB binds only the phosphorylated substrate. This binding can be detected by chemiluminescence using a second peroxidase-conjugated anti-sheep antibody (Ross et al., 2002, Biochem. J., just about to be published, manuscript BJ20020786).
There are many diseases associated with deregulation of cell proliferation and cell death (apoptosis). The conditions of interest include, but are not limited to, the following. The compounds according to the invention are suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions where there is proliferation and/or migration of smooth muscle cells and/or inflammatory cells into the intimal layer of a vessel, resulting in restricted blood flow through that vessel, for example in the case of neointimal occlusive lesions. Occlusive transplant vascular diseases of interest include atherosclerosis, coronary vascular disease after transplantation, vein graft stenosis, peri-anastomotic prosthetic restenosis, restenosis after angioplasty or stent placement, and the like.
The compounds according to the invention are also suitable as p38 kinase inhibitors.
Heteroarylureas which inhibit p38 kinase are described in WO 02/85859.